Paint shield



Jan. 10, 1967 D. k. JORGENSEN 3,297,000

PAINT SHIELD Filed April 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y zm/zm I Jan. 10, 1967 D. F. JORGENSEN 3,297,000

PAINT SHIELD Filed April 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 is Q) INVENTOR. Q flay/0 [Jamal/5M 7 I I M. 7mm

United States Patent 3,297,000 PAINT SHEELD David F. Jorgensen, 6220 Aldana St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90042 Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,559 Claims. (Cl. 118-504) This invention relates to tools for use in painting and, more particularly, to a paint shield especially well-suited for masking windows while painting around them.

Buyers of paint shields are for the most part avocational, do-it-yourself painters. This market demands tools designed with convenience and ease of use in mind. One problem in connection Will-h the design of a paint shield is selection of the length of the masking edge so that it can be conveniently used in different jobs and situations. If the masking edge is too long, it will not fit against windows with small casements, and if it is too large, the paint shield must be moved repeatedly in order to mask a long surface.

Another problem is to design a masking edge that can be brought into contact with the surface to be masked during use in such manner that the surface of the masking edge forms a small angle with the surface to be masked. This allows sufficient clearance between the masking edge and the surface to be painted for the paint brush to reach the surface to be painted completely up to the edge of the masked surface.

According to the invention, a long masking edge and a short masking edge are brought together in a thin, substantially flat unitary structure. Specifically, an arm portion having a long straight masking edge and an arm portion having a short straight masking edge are connected together by a web portion. To permit use of the one masking edge, particularly the short one, without interference from the other masking edge, the masking edges are oriented with respect to each other to form an acute angle and the web portion is located near the apex of the acute angle. As a result of this particular construction, when one masking edge is in use the arm of the other masking edge angles away from the masked surface, its far end experiencing substantial lateral displacement from the masked surface. This result is highly advantageous, for example, when the paint shield is to be used to mask a small window surface. In this case, the short masking edge comes in contact with the surface to be masked and the arm of the long masking edge angles away from the window, thereby clearing the window casement which protrudes laterally from the window. To permit the surface of each masking edge to be squared off at both ends the apex of the acute angle is truncated.

The ability of one edge of the paint shield to be used without interference from the arm of the other edge is further enhanced by providing masking edges, particularly the short masking edge, the surfaces of which are bent along their length to form an obtuse angle with the remainder of the unitary structure. Consequently, the masking edges can be placed in contact with a surface to be masked such that their surface forms a small angle with the masked surface, while the remainder of the unitary structure forms a larger angle with the masked surface. Thus, for a given angle between the surface of the masking edge and a surface to be masked, the arm of the masking edge not being used is further laterally displaced from the masked surface than it would be, if the masking edges were not bent.

The web portion is shorter in length than the arm portion with the short masking edge and the unitary structure exhibits a cutout area between the arm portions on both ends of the web portion. This permits the paint shield to be utilized in even more different situations 3,297,600 Patented Jan. 10, I967 without interference from the masking edge not being used.

These and other features of the invention are described in detail in the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a paint shield constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the paint shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting the paint shield of FIG. 1 in use;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of two planes forming an acute angle with one another presented to illustrate the principle of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the two planes of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is another diagram depicting the paint shield of FIG. 1 in use, and

FIG. 7 is still another diagram depicting the paint shield of FIG. 1 in use.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 in which a unitary structure 2 is shown comprising a long arm portion 3 and a short arm portion 4 connected together by a web portion 5. Arm portions 3 and 4 form an acute angle with one another and web portion 5 is located near the apex of the acute angle. As illustrated in FIG. 1, web portion 5 is shorter than arm portion 4. Curved cutout areas 23 and 26, which are formed on the ends of web portion 5 between arm portions 3 and 4-, as explained in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7, enable the paint shield to be used in situations, where the clearances would otherwise be insuificient to allow its use. Serving as masking edges of structure 2 are straight blades 6 and 7, which are mounted along the edge of arm portions 3 and 4, respectively. By way of example, convenient lengths for blades 6 and '7 are 18 inches and 6 inches, respectively. As best illustrated by FIG. 2, blades 6 and 7 are each constructed by bending a strip of metal upon itself along its length so that the surface near the edge of the blade is fiat and the edge of the arm portion is inserted between and cemented to a portion of the two folded sides of the strip. Furthermore, each of blades 6 and 7 is bent along its length so that the surface of the edge of the blade forms an obtuse angle with the remainder of the surface of structure 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the apex of the acute angle formed by arm portions 3 and 4 is truncated. This permits both ends of blades 6 and 7 to be squared off, i.e. to form a right-angle masking surface when the paint shield is used in the corner of a rectangular surface to be masked. In addition, end 28 of blade 6 protrudes more than end 29 of blade 7. Consequently, when blade 6 is in use in the corner of a rectangular surface to be masked, the sharp, protruding corner of end 29 is spaced from that edge of the surface to be painted perpendicular to the length of blade 6 and does not damage that edge.

In the construction of structure 2 itself, an important consideration is use of a minimum amount of material without impairing the strength of the paint shield. To this end, the center portion of structure 2 is thin and cut out between arm portions 3 and 4 at both ends so that web portion 5 is quite small. Strength is added by a ridge 8 surrounding structure 2. Arm portions 3 and 4 and web portion 5 could be a single piece of molded plastic or separate parts attached together to form a unitary structure. Midway of its length arm portion 3 is bowed to provide a convenient grid while employing blade 7 on a surface to be masked. A hole 27 is provided to hang up the paint shield when it is not being used. Cutout area 26 can also serve as a hook, by which the paint shield can be hung over an object, such as the back of a chair.

FIG. 3 depicts the paint shield of the invention during use to mask a small window 9 while painting its surrounding casement or adjoining sill 10. While short blade 7 masks window 9, structure 2 angles away from the surface of window 9. Consequently, arm 3 is displaced from and clears casement 10 which protrudes laterally from the surface of window 9. Although the principle problem associated with providing a long masking edge and a short masking edge in a unitary structure is to avoid interference by the long masking edge, while the short masking edge is in use on a small surface, it is also advantageous that the short masking edge is displaced from the masked surface when the long masking edge is in use.

The displacement of the masking edge not being used is due in part to the fact that arm portions 3 and 4 are oriented to form an acute angle with one another. This principle is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 by use of two planes and two lines. A plane 11 representing the surface of structure 2 and a plane 12 representing a surface to be masked are oriented to form an acute angle with one another, just as a paint shield would be placed on a surface to be masked. A line A, B represents the position of the masking edge not being used, if the two masking edges would be parallel to each other. A line C, D represents the masking edge not being used with the two masking edges oriented to form an acute angle in accordance with the invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that, whereas line A, B remains a fixed distance from plane 12, line C, D angles away from plane 12 so that end D is substantially laterally displaced from plane 12. This means that without using a wide web portion 5 the far end of the arm portion of the masking edge not in use is substantially laterally displaced from the masked surface and, therefore, does not interfere with use of the other masking edge. By the bends along the length of blades 6 and 7 the lateral displacement of the masking edge not being used is increased without increasing the angle that the surface of the masking edge being used forms with a surface to be masked.

FIG. 6 depicts the paint shield of the invention during use to mask the corner of a window 20. As blade 7 is in contact with window 20 and the far end of arm 3 angles away from window 20, end 28 of arm 3 clears sill 22 associated with window 20, by virtue of the cutout area 23.

FIG. 7 depicts the paint shield of the invention during the use to mask a window 24 located behind a window 25 in a casement. In this case cutout area 26 enables blade 7 to be inserted behind window 25 in the space separating windows 24 and 25 and to be placed against window 24 to mask it.

In certain situations, it might be desirable to construct web portion 5 such that the acute angle formed by arms 3 and 4 is adjustable to meet the particular situation at hand. It may also be desirable to fabricate the entire paint shield including the masking edges, arm portions, and web portion of the same material.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint shield comprising in a thin substantially flat unitary structure a first arm portion having a long straight masking edge, a second arm portion having a short straight masking edge and converging in direction at one end with one end of the first arm, the converging ends being truncated and squared off and a web portion connecting the arms together near the converging ends.

2. The paint shield of claim 1, in which the converging ends of the arms are truncated such that the first arm protrudes further from the structure than the second arm.

3. The paint shield of claim 1 in which the surface of the second arm has a portion bent along its length to form an obtuse angle with the remainder of the structure such that, when the bent portion of the second arm is in contact with a surface to be masked, the remainder of the structure angles away'from the masked surface more than the surface of the bent portion of the second arm.

4. The paint shield of claim 1 in which the surface of each arm has a portion bent along its length to form an obtuse angle with the remainder of the structure such that, when one bent portion is in contact with the surface to be masked, the remainder of the structure angles away from the masked surface more than the surface of the bent portion in contact.

5. The paint shield of claim 1 in which the web portion is shorter in length than the second arm portion to form cutout areas in the unitary structure on the ends of the web portion.

6. The paint shield of claim 1 in which the structure has a ridge on each flat side extending around its perimeter inside of the masking edge and the long arm is bowed outwardly midway of its length to serve as a grip.

7. A paint shield comprising a slab-shaped frame having a first arm portion with a long straight masking edge, a second arm portion with a short straight masking edge converging in direction at one end with one end of the first arm and diverging in direction at the other end from the other end of the first arm, the converging ends of the arms being truncated, and a third portion connecting the first arm and the second arm near the converging ends, the connecting portion being cut out at the converging ends of the arms such that the converging ends of the arms protrude beyond the connecting portion.

8. The paint shield of claim 7, in which the long arm protrudes more than the short arm.

9. The paint shield of claim 7, in which the converging ends of the arms are squared off.

10. The paint shield of claim 7, in which the diverging ends of both arms protrude beyond the connecting portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,569 11/1905 Watson. 2,517,220 8/ 1950 Lister 118--504 2,726,633 12/1955 Miron 118505 X 2,893,042 7/1959 Paskaley 118-504 X 2,954,752 10/ 1960 Hayward 1l8505 MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAINT SHIELD COMPRISING IN A THIN SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT UNITARY STRUCTURE A FIRST ARM PORTION HAVING A LONG STRAIGHT MASKING EDGE, A SECOND ARM PORTION HAVING A SHORT STRAIGHT MASKING EDGE AND CONVERGING IN DIRECTION AT ONE END WITH ONE END OF THE FIRST ARM, THE CONVERGING ENDS BEING TRUNCATED AND SQUARED OFF AND A WEB PORTION CONNECTING THE ARMS TOGETHER NEAR THE CONVERGING ENDS. 